Scottsdale ArtWalk Draws a Mellow Crowd

Though Scottsdale has a lot of attraction for a young crowd who still get a lot of enjoyment out of binge drinking, there is an area that more mellow tourists need to look into called ArtWalk. It offers culture and fun without all the noise usually associated with downtown nightlife.

First Fridays in Phoenix — loud, raucous, playful and modern — draw a young crowd and reign as the largest art walk in the metro area. But Scottsdale is home to two art walks that are decidedly different.

Scottsdale ArtWalk and the nearby Artisan Markets-ArtBridge fill downtown with a mellow, relaxed atmosphere and older patrons more likely to be sipping a glass of wine and scoping out art. And with multiple trolleys operating, the events tie into one another and are easy to navigate.

The weekly ArtWalk is an open house for galleries that belong to the Scottsdale Gallery Association. For about 30 years, dozens of high-end galleries along Main Street and Marshall Way have been showing art that ranges from the expected Western traditional to up-to-the-moment contemporary.